How to Create a Watertight White Paper in 9 Steps

How to Create a Watertight White Paper in 9 Steps

They’re not meant for casual reading. Did you know that white papers were the most preferred content type used to make buying decisions in the last 12 months? Put into action your in-house digital marketing team, or collaborate with external agencies to use available promotional platforms like social media, email, newsletters, search engine marketing, and so on to get people talking about your paper. The fact that a white paper is descriptive in nature is what makes it a long document. Adobe came out with a 15-page whitepaper for business professionals looking for expert and detailed information on document security. Choose an Interesting Topic and Title One of the biggest factors that will attract (or repel) your readers towards your white paper is the topic or the title. Further, think about what people want to read rather than what you want them to read. Organize Well Because a white paper can be up to ten pages long, it is easy to lose your train of thought in the midst of writing it. If you’re a business that’s looking to generate credibility and establish its authority in the market as an expert, then writing a great fact-based white paper may be the way to go. The above tips can go a long way in helping you create white papers that bring you credibility and clout.

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Let’s get a few things straight: White papers aren’t documents full of text rambling on aimlessly. Rather, they’re akin to detailed reports on specific topics to be published for specific online readership. White papers are longer than blog posts; they can be up to ten pages long. They’re not meant for casual reading. They’re typically written by experts and are supported by intensively researched data, statistics, illustrations, charts, and references. Writing a good white paper is no walk in the park and can take several months to shape up properly.

Did you know that white papers were the most preferred content type used to make buying decisions in the last 12 months? (highlight to tweet) Further, white papers, ebooks and webinars were the top three in 2015 when it came to most valued content types. Buyers are most likely to share white paper content with their colleagues.

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Image via Demand Gen Report

Why Write White Papers?

When you write white papers, you can look forward to the following benefits:

  • It helps the business generate higher sales and earn more credibility and trust, as its main purpose is to provide solutions to readers’ problems. Readers tend to respond better to genuinely helpful information rather than to advertisements.
  • It inspires curiosity about your offerings among customers without having to make direct mentions of your products and services.
  • If your white paper goes viral, it will be read by executives at large corporations, who may go on to vouch for you. This brings your business more credibility.
  • People are always in search of quality content on the web. If your content is, indeed, professional in quality, it will help you engage your readers without overwhelming them. If they remain focused, your business can get the most out of it.
  • White papers engage readers by addressing customers’ problems first and then providing them with solutions. By offering solutions right at the beginning, your readers will lose interest. It is, therefore, important to prioritize readers’ interest over your own. By doing so, your paper will motivate them to take action and buy your problem-solving product.

If you’re wondering how you can create an outstanding white paper, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a few steps to help you with it.

1. Consider Your Overall Content Marketing Strategy

When creating a white paper, make sure that the final result fits in with your content marketing strategy. White papers are written with certain objectives in mind and are meant to help you build thought leadership in your field. At the same time, they should also provide resolutions to the pain points of your target audience.

It will be easier to convert prospects through a white paper if the content addresses readers’ needs at a particular point in the buying cycle. Further, regularly publishing white papers that focus on a particular area can help you achieve ownership of related search terms on search engines.

2. Do Not Compromise on Its Promotion

Creating white papers can take a while, which is why many businesses may be tempted to push them out as soon as they are ready without promoting it adequately. This can be a huge mistake. It is important to put in equal (if not more) time and effort in promoting it as well.

When promoting your white paper, you can break up the content into small, digestible pieces so that your readers find it easy to read. This will attract more traffic. Put into action your in-house digital marketing team, or collaborate with external agencies to use available promotional platforms like social media, email, newsletters, search engine marketing, and so on to get people talking about your paper.

3. Maintain Quality and Professionalism

A white paper is supposed to be written by experts, so framing one with a casual tone is a strict no-no if you want to make it influential. It is better to stick to professional writing practices…

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